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Role of gladiators in roman society
Romans gladiators and roman society
Role of gladiators in roman society
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tombs of valorous warriors; when the cruelty of this custom became evident, it was decided to make gladiators fight before the tomb” The agreement among modern scholars on this subject generally ends with this notion.
The main subject of the munera origin controversy is based on the question of who were the first group of people to practice this early form of gladiatorial combat. The first widely believed origin is that the Romans adopted this practice from the Etruscans. The Etruscans were a group of people that were slightly more advanced than the Romans and occupied the territory directly to the north of Rome. The Etruscan city-states likely had a large amount of influence over Rome in its early stages. It is generally agreed upon among
P Bradley. Ancient Rome, using evidence. (2000) [United Kingdom] Cambridge University Press. Pgs 516-519, 534-535, &555-557
Acts such as death in battle or childbirth were seen as accomplishments, and would be allowed at tomb stone to be remembered by all. The individual desire to die for the state reflects the values and ethics within the combatant society and outright devotion the society had for the spartan state. The kings, as stated by Plutarch, had elaborate funerals and special burial rites such as compelling the people to attend the funeral, communal displays of grief and praise for the dead king. The differing rituals reflects the kings higher status within the society, however if a king died in battle a statue made of him, mirroring the individual desire to die for the state that had been enforced through the social values and ethics. Religion was valued to the Spartans as it was believed it would allow for the state to prosper, which was the crucial aspect of the Spartan society.
Etruscan art and culture plays a major role in the Roman society due to the power and command it once held over the Romans. The Etruscans were a strong network of city-states that ruled over Rome for more than a century during the Hellenistic period. These people, influenced by the culture of the Greeks, kept the same belief and value system present in that of Greek mythology. Greek ideals facilitated the style and the art that Etruscans produced and this is apparent in the visual language of structures, artwork, and early organization of the Roman state that the Etruscans established. During the Etruscan rule, acculturation between Romans and the Etruscan society occurred. This mixing of language, sharing of knowledge, religious ideas, art styles, and social organization are what influenced the early Roman society. This is about the Etruscan funerary techniques and how the Romans acquired, copied, and reapplied these methods of style to define their own societal meaning. Even though the Etruscans were overthrown soon after they occupied Rome, their influence is a major factor in how the Romans developed ideas and meaning within their own society
Morey, William C. "Outlines of Roman History, Chapter 19." Forum Romanum. 1901. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .
Grant, M. (1962). Myths of the Greeks and Romans (1st ed.). Cleveland: World Pub. Co.
The gladiators competed against one another for the sake of public entertainment at festival games. Although some gladiators fought wild animals, the combats usually featured a pair of male human contenders. They fought in diverse styles depending on their background and how much training they had endured. Originally as captured soldiers, they were made to fight with their own weopons.
Gladiatorial events were a token of the Roman civilization. A brutal form of sacrifice adapted from the earlier civilization of Etruscans, who believed when a person dies, his spirit relies on a blood sacrifice to survive in the afterlife. The first event to take place in Rome was in 264 BC, when Decimus Brutus held a sacrifice to honor his dead father (Roman Gladiator). Soon after these events became an undeniable part of the Romans lives, used for political power and general entertainment.
The Gladiators – History’s Most Deadly Sport. New York: St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne Books, 2003. Potter, David S. and David J. Mattingly, eds. Life, Death and Entertainment in the Roman Empire. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1998.
Pyrrhus’s battle against Rome started in 281 BCE when the Greek city of Tarentum in southern Italy asked for his assistance against Rome. This was to be the first time that the Romans and Greeks ever met on the battlefield. Pyrrhus came to Italy with an army of about 25 000 men and 20 war elephants. The first battle (the battle of Heraclea) took place in 280 BCE. Due to his elephants and superior cavalry Pyrrhus’s army won a costly victory. After this v...
The Trojan War veterans of The Odyssey succeeded in defeating their enemies on the battlefield. The end of combat did not mean relief from burdens for them. War is cruel, but in it these men see a glory they cannot find outside. Achilleus’ death in war is treated with ceremony and respect. Agamemnon, having survived that same war, dies a pitiful death and Klytaimestra “was so hard that her hands would not/ press shut [his] eyes and mouth though [he] was going to Hades” (XI, 425-426). Dying at home meant being denied even simple acts of dignity. Reflecting back on it Hades, Agamemnon characterizes the veteran’s struggles when he asks, “What pleasure was there for me when I had wound up the fighting?” (XXIV, 95).
Farris, Dale. "Shutt, Timothy B.: A History of Ancient Sparta." Library Journal 15 May 2009: 45.
Heichelheim, Fritz, Cedric A. Yeo, and Allen M. Ward. A History Of The Roman People. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1984.
Much like today’s athletes gladiators competed with one another to decide a victor and is a form of entertainment for people spectating. But Gladiators competed much different than professional athletes do today. Gladiators were forced to fight for the entertainment of others and were considered slaves (“ The Roman Gladiator”). Gladiators did not just fight for friendly sport either they had to fight to the death. This made the gladiatorial games so exciting for the people watching. The people loved to watch others fight and the gore that they would see while the gladiators were fighting. It may sound horrible in today’s society but back then it was the most prominent form of entertainment. Different from today’s athletes and entertainers, gladiators were slaves and were told what to do against their will. Much of the gladiators were slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war. Gladiatorial games were mostly held by the Roman Republic and forced there enemy’s to fight for their lives in the...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/roman_women_01.shtml>, Accessed December 23, 2011. Ellis, E. and Esler, World History Connections to Today. Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1999. GREECE & ROME. Archaeology [online] [serial] [online].
Throughout the history of the Republic, there was a difference between the gladiatorial contests and other forms of spectacular entertainment. The Romans did not invent the concept of gladiatorial fighting; there is some uncertainty as to the exact source. One ancient source says it was the Etruscans, a non-Indo-European people who lived directly north of the Romans.